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Alberts talks Frost, sellout streak, B1G officiating and more
ByMICHAEL BRUNTZ 13 minutes agoDuring his monthly radio show, Nebraska athletic director Turd Alberts was asked about Husker head coach Scott Frost’s status for 2022, and Alberts said he is proud of the work Frost and his staff have done this year, but stopped short of making pronouncements about the future.
“Making bold, broad statements in the middle of a football season to me can be very counterproductive…I do think there is a time and space for that, but I can tell you I’ve been extraordinarily proud of Coach Frost and our coaching staff,” Alberts said when asked directly by a caller. “I love working with Scott. We continue working together. I see great things for our football program.”
During his hour-long radio appearance, Alberts hit on a number of topics, both football and not.
Alberts said he makes a point to attend football practice even for short periods a few times per week to get a sense of how things are going. He said he stopped by practice on Tuesday and saw a full-padded practice with the ones on defense going against the ones on offense.
“Just trying to get a sense of how positive our team is and the coaching staff and I tell you the one thing I’m really proud of is how hard these young men are working and staying together. That’s a big part of it,” Alberts said. “It really, really matters to them and that really matters to me in terms of where the culture is in terms or the mental aspect and makeup of our football team and where the leadership is.
“I think they’re fairly unified and working together and that means a lot.”
Coming out of the bye week, Nebraska sits at 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play with four games to go over the next five weeks. Alberts said the loss to Minnesota “clips your wings a little bit” after a win over Northwestern and three-point loss to Michigan.
“I’m proud of what Coach Frost and our staff have done,” Alberts said. “We have four games in the next five weeks that are a great opportunity for us and I look forward to us playing against Purdue.”
Notes:
— Alberts said he expects Saturday’s game against Purdue to be a sellout. The Huskers have three home games remaining this season — games against Ohio State and Cockeye are set for November. Alberts said he appreciated fans continued support, and believes the sellout streak is safe through the 2021 season.
“We haven’t always done our part for the last several years,” he said. “There’s certain aspects of the Husker fan experience in particular areas that aren’t up to snuff, either, that we’re working through. (The fan base) is what separates Nebraska athletics from every other athletic department in the country.”
— Alberts said Nebraska’s $155 million practice facility is running on schedule and on budget. The Husker AD said there is still work to do on raising the final $20 million, but that he anticipates Nebraska will hit its fundraising goals by the deadline at the end of the year. He said because of inflation about construction, the University doesn’t want to send the second half of the project back out for bid.
— Alberts was asked about Big Ten officiating, and in his answer, he wondered if the crew who worked the Michigan-Nebraska game, may have been overwhelmed by the emotion and the atmosphere in Memorial Stadium. Alberts noted that there were missed calls both ways in that game, and said those kinds of calls typically even out by the end of the season. Alberts said overall that he believes officiating in the Big Ten is “pretty good” but that more time and energy must be invested into experienced officials.
“I’m not sure if that game was a little big for that crew,” Alberts said. “The amount of noise, the energy, it appeared to me, that perhaps, that environment could have been a little big for that crew.”
— Alberts won’t be at the Purdue game. His son Chase is getting married outside of Omaha on Saturday — a wedding that was scheduled prior to Alberts becoming Nebraska’s AD.
